Turning guide for fishing tools



July 1o, 192s. 1,616,860

' E. L. GREEN TURNING GUIDE FOR FISHINGl TOOLS Filed Dec. 28, 1925 Patented July 1o, 1928,

UNiTEn STATES Lei-16,86@ PATENT oFFIcE. i

Y EDWIN L. GREEN, OF CROSS PLAINS, TEXAS; CORDELIA A.'GREEN, ADMINISTRATRIX.

TURNING GUIDE FOR FISHING TOOLS.

Application iiled December 28, 1925. Serial No. 77,952.

This invention relates to improvements in fishing tools for reclaiming lost drill tools and bits which become detached in wells during the drilling thereof.

In the drilling of oil wellsthru rock or other hard material, the bits or tools very often become misplaced. As the lower end of the bit has formed a cavity in the hard rock or material, at the bottom .of the well, the lower end of the bit will ordinarily be properly positioned in alignment with the axis of the well. However, very often cavities exist above the lower end of the bit, and permit the latter to tip over and fall into the cavity, so that the upper end of the bit is out of alignment with the well, and conventional slip sockets cannot of course be used for catching the bit in order to fish the same from the well. It is therefore al primary object of this inventionv to provide a novel type of ishing tool, which e may preferably be termed a turning guide for use in connection with conventional slip sockets or ,other fishing equipment, the function of which is to take hold of the bit which is inclined out of alignment with the well, and to straighten the said bit so that it may be caught by the socket or other fishing equipment. and readily lifted to the ground surface.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel type of bit straightening guide for fishing equipment of oil wells, which may be used as an attachment for or as a part of the conventional slip socket, and embodies a novel hook below the socket for attaching the bit and facilitating the straightening -thereof into axial alignment with the Well, so that the socket may act thereon.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a preferably cylindrical sha ed hollow guide for use in connection with shing tools, adapted to Abe slipped over the conventional slip socket, and embodying a 'novel type of spiral shaped hook, of shelllike formation, below the socket, constructed in order to enable the most efficient catching of the bit and the straightening of the same int-d alignment with the well.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein simiar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a sectional view taken through a well, showmg a lost bit in the'bottom of -the well', inclined from the lower end of the we ll upwardly into a cavity at the side of the well, and showing the improved turning guide as used in connection with a fishing tool, to 'effect the straightening of the bit to permit its withdrawal from the well. Figure 2 shows the improved tool in cross section, showing its application upon fa'- soeket, and showing the same having straightened a lost bit into vertical position and caught by the socket in order that the lfiit may be readily lifted to the ground surace.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the improlved turning guide or bit straightening too Figure 4 is a bottom proved tool. l

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved turning guide or fishing tool, which may be used as an attachment or as a part of the conventional fishing tool or slip socket B, for the purpose of reclaiming lost bits D 0r other drilling equipment in the well; the fishing tool B being connected by suitable string or supporting stem 'C extending upwardly thru plan view lof the imthe well and by means of which the improved tool A and the socket B may be turned to perform the functions hereinafter ldescribed.

The bit D is of the conventional form, including a body 10, having a lower drill end or base 11, which is dlametrically wider than the diameter of the body 10, arid which" during drilling in hard rock 12 provides a bore or recess 13. Very often incident tol the drilling of rock, as above mentioned, the dri-lling tool or bit. will become disconnected from the drilling line, and the upper end 14 of the bit D will drop laterally mto pockets or recesses 15, which quitefrequently occur in wells, so that the upper end 14 of the bit Dis out of alignment ,with the bore 17 of the well, but the lower end of the bit D' incident to resting in the opening or recess 13 is properly in alignment with the bore 17. v

The ordinary slip socket B includes a hollow body 20, suitably connected at its upper end by coupling means 21 with the fishing Quite frequently line or string C. The socket opening in the lower end of the slip socket B- faced downwardly, and in this opening Ashps 22 of any approved arrangement are provided, which are adapted to grip the upper end 14 et the drill bit D, as the socket is 'lowered into place for iishing the bit from the well. in connection with sockets, radial bolts 25 are provided at the lower end of the socket, for the attachment of a bowl or other equipment, and in connection withthe improved type of guide A, these bolts 25 are important to effect its attachment to the socket B., The-upper end of the body of the conventional slip socket B is tapered,

as at 27, or is provided with a shoulder which aids in supporting the improved turning guide A, when the latter is used as an attachment for conventional slip' sockets B.

Referring to the improved turning guide or fishing tool A, the same is preferably in the form of a cylindrical shaped hollow shell, the same being o metal, the walls of which may be one-half inch in thickness, more or less, depending upon the type of equipment used, and the size of the well being drilled. It comprises a hollow body portion 30 of cylindrical shaped formation, said body portion 30 having an upper tapered end 31 tapering inwardly with diminishing diameter, and adapted to providev a supporting collar for seating on the tapered end or shoulder 27 of the conventional socket B, with the socket B received in the passageway 33 within the body.30. The body 30 at diametrieally opposed points is preferably provided with elongated slots 35, which are beveled inwardly, and which slots 35 when the socket B is received therein, lie in alignment with the similarly positioned slot 36 of the socket B, to have access to the equipment of the socket B. At the lower end of the body 30 of the tool A, countersunk openings 38 may be provided, thru which the bolts 25 above mentioned may be extended; thev heads of the said bolts 25 being adapted to lie .in the openings 38, in

order to secure the lower -portion of the tool body 30A to the socket B, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. Thus, the body 30 is anchored at its upper end to the socket B to prevent its downward movement over the socket B, and the bolts 25 anchor the body 30 of the tool Ato the lower portion of the socket B, to prevent relative movement of the turnil'ig guide A and socket B in opposite directions.

The body 30 may be considered as terminating ush with the lower edge 40 of the 'slip socket B, and below this plane the improved turning-tool A includes a bit guide hook 45, comprising the essential novelty of this invention, formed in a special cooperative. relation with 'respect to the construction and location of a lost bit in the The hook 45- o't the tool A may be rei ferrcd to as a spira-l shaped hook, and it may be termed a sheet-like hook, in contradistinction to the round wire or spiral hooks used in this and other arts. 'lhe hook 45 at is cxtreme upper end is segmental in cross section, comprising a segment of substantially 180, and it is connected flush with the body' 3l), at the lower end thereo.- The hook 45 from the upper end therco at 5l to the lower pointed end A50 thereof spirals through' butone complete revolution. The hook 45 at its upper end is connected to the lower end of the body 30, from the point 51 to the diaxnetrically oppose-d point 52, the segmental dimension of this upper end of the hook, as above mentioned being 180, soI that the opposite side of the hook, from the point 5l towards the point 52, is open to permit access of the bit D tothe socket. The pointed end 5() of the hook 45 lies directly below the point 5l, in a line measured parallel with the tool A, and from the lower pointed .end 5() the lower edge 54 of the hook 45 inclinesI upwardly on a small pitch, to the point 55 which is diametrically opposed'to the pointed end 50. From this location 55, to the point 51, the remaining portion 57 o tl the lower edge of the hook, slopes upwardly in spiral manner, on a pitch which is considerably steeper than the pitch of the lower edge 54 from the location 50 to the location 55. 'l`he lower edge portion 57 of the hook from the location'55 to the location 51 extends thru a spiral of'180, and of course extends thru the major length of the hook 45, since the vertical distance from a plane intersecting the point 50 to a plane intersecting the point 55 is'very small in comparison to the total height of the hook 45. The upper edge 60 of the hook 45 spirals upwardly thru an arc of substantially 180 from the point 50 to the point 52 which is diamctrically .opposed to the point 5l. Thus, the upper and lower edges of the hook may be said to terminate in a horizontal plane, at diametrically opposed points. ust below the l'lower edge of the Asocket B. The hook 45 increases in height from thel point 50, measured on a vertical line, and the hook is of greatest height at the rear wall thereof, from the point 55 to the upper terminal 52 of the top edge 60 of the hook, as can readily be understood from Figure 3 of the drawings.

From the foregoing description of the shape of the hook 45, it can readily be 'understood that the upper edge of the hook tially 180. Thus, the hook 45, at any horizontal plane of intersection thereof, is in the form of a half circle, or segment of 180, and furnishes a spiral shaped opening which spirals thru 180 throughout the length ofl callv opposed direction to the opening at' the .lower end of the hook 45, as can readily be understood. l

Referring to the operation of placing the l bit C, in order that the same may be elevated, the turning guide -or tool A is placed over the socket B, in the -relation above described, and the socketis screwed to the pipe or string C and lowered into the well until the turning guide or tool A at its pointed end of the hook 45 engages against the bit D in substantially the relation illustrated iu Figure 1. The operator at the top of the well then takes a pipe wrench and secures the same to the string C, or b analogous means the string C to which the tool A is rigidly connected is turnd thru a slight arcuate movement, in-order to thread the lower pointed end of the hook 45, so to speak, about the body of the bit D; thebit D riding upwardly into the spiral opening provided by the hook 45, being guided into place by the upper edge ofthe hook 45 and stabilized in its position incident-to the formation of the hook. When the hook 45 has been slipped to engage about the lower end of the body of the'bit D, the guide or tool A is drawn upwardly by elevation of the pipe or string C, which has the effect of pulling the inclined upper portion of the body of the bit D towards the center of the well bore, and this operation is continued until the bit D incident toits engagement by the hook 45, and the weight of the bit D is vertically arranged in axial alignment. with the well bore. 'Ihe guide is then turned about a half turn and thevsocketlowererl until the slips of socket B engage the top of the bit D.

' The improved fishing tool is then elevated,

with the bit D .f'ecureid thereby.

From the foregoing description offthis inycntion it is apparent that a novel type of bit guiding tool `for fishing equipment has been provided` which is novel in its application and operation in the straightening of .bits for the .proper attachment thereof. lThe 4hook 45 may 'be provided with eithera right or ieft spiral. and the'tool Amav either bel used as an attachment for slipping over a socket Bor may be formed integral', welded or forged to any type of .socket or fishing Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theclaims.

I claim:

1. In a guide for fishing tools the combination of a body, and a lower depending spiral shaped hook of shell-like formation, having a lower end substantially tapered to a point, the upper edge of said hook from said point of the hook spiralling upwardly thru Substantially 180'and the lower edge of said hook inc-lining' downwardly from the upperend of said hook in spiral relation thru substantially 180 to a point of termination 180 away from the free lower end of said hook, the upper ends of the uppery and lower edges of said hook terminating at substantially opposed points, whereby to provide a substantially spiral shaped opening forming a spiral of substantially 180 throughout the length of the hook, the width of said opening to thev inside of the hook being equivalentto the diameter of said hook.

2. As an article of manufacture a guide for fishing tools comprisiiig a body, and a depending substantially spiral shaped hook spiralling thru substantially one revolution only throughout the length thereof, said hook having a lower pointed end and havmg a .lower edge spiraled upwardly on a shallow pitch from ,the lower pointed end to a point on the lower edge of the hook 180 away therefrom; the loweredge of said hook from said last mentioned point to the upper end of the lower edge spiralling at an increased pitch to the upper terminal of said lower edge which is directly vertically over the lower pointed end of said hook, the

` upper edge of said hook spiralling upwardly thru 180 from the pointed end of the hook to an upper terminal diametrically opposed to the upper terminal of the lower edge of said hook. i

3. In combination with a fishing tool slip socket having an upper shoulder, and a guide attachment for the socket including av cylindrical body portion having an upper' retaining vian'ge for seating on' theshoilder of said socket, said hollow cylindrical body portion extending along the socket andy at its lower end terminating at the lower` end of said socket, said attachment including a substantially spiral shaped hook attached .at the lower end of said hollow cylindrlcal body portion and extending below the'socket and defining substantially a complete 'revolution-and providing a substantially sp1ral shaped opening in the side thereof of sufficient width to receive the body of abit therein to facilitate its straightening into axial -alignmen'twith the socket.

4. In a turning guide :for ishmg tools the combination with a slip socket having an upper shoulder thereon, a turning guide including a hollow cylindrical shaped body portion adapted to be slipped over said socket and having a retaining flange upwardly thereof for seating on the shoulder of said slip socket, said hollow cylindrical body portion at the lower end thereof having openings therethrough, bolts transversely connected in said openings and extending into said Socket for connecting the hollow cylindrical shaped body portion to the socket, said turning guide including a substantially shell-like spiral shaped bit receiving hook at the lower end thereof projecting below the slip socket and having the free end thereof at the lowermost point to Laveno@ facilitate its slipping about the bod ot a detached bit, said spiral shaped hoo providing a spiral shaped opening therein capable of receiving the body of the bit to facilitate its Vertical alignment with said slip socket.

5. As an article of manu-facture aturning guide for lishing tools comprising a hollow substantially cylindrical shaped body having a passageway therethrough, said body at the top thereof being upwardly tapered in a converging relation to restrict the passage- Way, and the passageway at its restricted portion extending through the top of said body, and a shell-like spiral hook on the lowerend of said body.

EDWIN L. GREEN. 

